ABSTRACT
Considerable scientific evidence supports the significant contributions made by a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern concerning cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and the metabolic syndrome. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the United States as well as in many other nations of the world. Mediterranean diets have increasingly been found to exert beneficial effects on reducing risks of many chronic diseases and other serious health problems. The bad news is that these CVD improvements may be offset by increasing rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes that contribute to heart disease and the metabolic syndrome. Considerable evidence indicates that the closer an individual adheres to a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern for an extended period of time, the lower the risk for CVDs, the metabolic syndrome, and high blood pressure. A major benefit is a lower total blood cholesterol concentration, which also reduces the risk of a second heart attack and a worsening of metabolic syndrome.
